49ers should be happy to face Packers in divisional round of NFL playoffs

Reason No. 3: 49ers pass defense isn’t as bad as it seems

All year long, the No. 1 defensive concern the 49ers have had has been its secondary, namely at cornerback, which has certainly dealt with complaints and issues ever since corner Jason Verrett suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 1.

Players have rotated in and out, yes, including veteran cornerback Josh Norman, who’s now benched, thanks largely to the maturation of third-round rookie Ambry Thomas.

Thomas, in particular, has gone from a “wasted” NFL Draft selection into a quality starter, improving each week and even helping the Niners limit Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, to just one catch for 21 yards in the Wild Card game.

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Complain about San Francisco’s secondary all you want. But here’s a nice little nugget to chew on: The 49ers finished the regular season allowing just 3,510 passing yards, sixth best in the NFL, and their 5.9 yards allowed per pass play was 10th best.

The Cowboys, owners of the league’s top offense in both scoring and yards gained, were held to a net total of just 230 pass yards last Sunday.

It’s been a quiet development. And while a strong pass rush, led by EDGE Nick Bosa, has been a primary reason behind the defensive success, one can’t automatically assume Aaron Rodgers and Co. will wholly exploit the Niners’ biggest perceived weakness.

Because it actually isn’t.